Double shell child-proof bottle cap

ABSTRACT

A child-proof screw on cap of the double shell type for a medicine bottle or the like. The cap has an inner threaded shell which fits the bottle neck and an outer shell which telescopingly overlies and encloses the inner shell when in safety position. The two shells are connected together by an axial pivot and are relatively rotatable. The outer shell has a top and a skirt and a deformable web connecting the top and skirt whereby the skirt can be moved axially to expose at least part of the outer wall of the inner shell for grasping by the fingers of a user in order to unscrew the inner shell off of the bottle. Cooperating one-way drive ratchet means are formed on mating portions of the two shells to provide for screwing the cap onto the bottle by rotating the outer shell. The axial force required to move the outer shell from safety position to expose the inner shell by deforming the web of the outer shell, is beyond the strength of a small child.

United States Patent Gach et a].

[54] DOUBLE SHELL CHILD-PROOF BOTTLE CAP [72] Inventors: Peter P. Gach, Evansville, Ind.;

Henry K. Leonard, Toledo, Ohio [73] Assignee: Sunbeam Plastics Corporation,

Evansville, Ind.

[22] Filed: Oct. 2, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 77,663

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[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,422,978 1] 1969 Quackenbush ..2l5/9 Primary Examiner-George T. Hall Attorney-Owen & Owen 51 Aug. 22, 1972 ABSTRACT A child-proof screw on cap of the double shell type for a medicine bottle or the like. The cap has an inner threaded shell which fits the bottle neck and an outer shell which telescopingly overlies and encloses the inner shell when in safety position. The two shells are connected together by an axial pivot and are relatively rotatable. The outer shell has a top and a skirt and a deformable web connecting the top and skirt whereby the skirt can be moved axially to expose at least part of the outer wall of the inner shell for grasping by the fingers of a user in order to unscrew the inner shell off of the bottle. Cooperating one-way drive ratchet means are formed on'mating portions of the two shells to provide for screwing the cap onto the bottle by rotating the outer shell. The axial force required to move the outer shell from safety position to expose the inner shell by deforming the web of the outer shell, is beyond the strength of a small child.

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DOUBLE SHELL CHILD-PROOF BOTTLE CAP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many designs have been suggested for safety caps for bottles containing medicine and the like, or other substances which may be harmful to small children. Such caps must be readily operable by adults or older children but must embody means to prevent or resist their being opened by small children. Some of these caps have been very complex involving combination type locks; others have been equipped with bayonet-type locking means requiring depression of the cap or a portion thereof followed by rotation to disengage the bayonet-type lugs and permit removal of the cap.

The present invention is based upon the discovery that it is difficult for a small child to both grasp and lift an exterior cap shell against a resilient bias in order to expose a sufficient area of an internal threaded cap to enable the child then to unthread the cap. Indeed, comprehension of this sequence of required movements is beyond the ability of a young child.

It is therefore the principal object of the instant invention to provide a child-proof cap for a medicine bottle or the like comprising a double shell arrangement in which the inner shell is threaded for screwing onto the container and the outer shell is mounted on the inner shell in telescoping, overlying relationship and is rotatable relative thereto.

It is yet another object of the instant invention to provide a double shell type, child-proof cap for a medicine bottle or the like having a threaded neck portion wherein the inner shell is threaded to screw on and off the neck and the outer shell is rotatable relative to the inner shell; the outer shell being movable axially of the inner shell to expose asufficient area of the outer surface of the inner shell to provide for its being grasped by the fingers of an adult or an older child in order to unscrew the inner shell; the outer shell comprising web means providing for the axial displacement of the outer shell relative to the inner shell against a biasing force exerted by the web means in its special configuration.

It is yet another object of the instant invention to provide a child-proof cap for medicine bottles or the like comprising two concentric telescoping shells, the inner shell being threaded to fit onto the neck portion of a medicine bottle or the like and the outer shell being rotatable relative to the inner shell with the outer shell having a deformable web providing for its axial movement between a safety position entirely enclosing the inner screw shell and an open position axially displaced therefrom, the web being configured and arranged to be deformable in order to move the outer shell between its two positions and, in a preferred embodiment, being so constructed and arranged as to require the movement of the web over-center when moving between the safety position and the open position thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, with parts broken away and parts shown in section, illustrat- FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale showing a bottle cap embodying the invention in its safety" position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the bottle cap in its open" position;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in elevation taken from the position indicated by the line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken from the position indicated by the line 8-8 of FIG. 5 and illustrating how the two shells of a bottle cap are connected to each other for relative rotation;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing another embodiment of a bottle cap embodying the invention in its safety position;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the cap illustrated in FIG. 9 with parts broken away and parts shown in section;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 in its open position; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view taken generally along the line 1212 of FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A bottle or container for medicine or other materials is generally indicated in FIG. 1 by reference number 10 and has a neck portion 1 1 and conventional threads 12. While the container 10 may generally be referred to herein as a bottle it is to be understood, of course, that a child-proof cap according to the invention may be utilized on any type of container having a threaded neck or mouth portion out of which the contents of the container normally are dispensed, poured or otherwise emptied.

A child-proof bottle cap embodying the invention is generally indicated by the reference number 13 and consists of two major elements, an inner shell 14 and an outer shell 15. The inner shell 14 has a helical thread 16 which engages with the thread 12 on the container 10. The inner shell 14 in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, inclusive, has upwardly extending annular rim 17 and top 18. The top 18 comprises an annular horizontal ledge 19 and an upwardly extending central portion 20 illustrated as being frustoconical in shape. A stem 21 (see also FIG. 8) is molded at the center of the top 18 and protrudes upwardly therefrom, being originally formed in cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 8.

The outer shell 15 consists of a tubular skirt 22 of such size and axial extent as to completely telescope over the inner shell 14 and its rim 17 when in Safety position as shown in FIG. 3. The outer shell 15 also has an annular, inwardly extending horizontal shoulder 23 which overlies the axially extending rim 17 of the inner shell 14 and a central web generally indicated by the reference number 24. The web 24 in this embodiment of the invention comprises several integral and especially configured sections, viz. an annular wall 25 parallel to the skirt 22 and the rim 17; an inwardly directed, annular rim 26; and an upwardly extending, frustoconical hub 27 which overlies the central portion 20 of the inner shell 14 and terminates at its inner upper edge in a circular hub 28 which is formed with a central opening 29 (see also FIG. 8).

In assembling the outer shell onto the inner shell 14, the stem 21 of the inner shell 14 is inserted through the opening 29 in the hub 28 of the outer shell 15. The top of the stem 21 is then deformed (as shown in FIG. 8) to provide a frusto-conical retaining head 31. Thus the outer shell 15 and inner shell 14 are rotatable relative to each other on the pivot provided by the stem 21 when in their open position as illustrated in FIG. 4 or when the outer shell 15 is rotated in the direction necessary to unscrew the inner shell 14.

The outer shell 15 and inner shell 14 are provided with one-way ratchet means consisting of opposed teeth 32 on the outer shell 15 and 33 on the upper edge of the rim 17 of the inner shell 14 (see also FIGS. 6 and 7). When the outer shell 15 is in the safety position overlying the inner shell 14 as shown in FIG. 3, the outer shell 15 may be freely rotated relative to the inner shell 14 in the direction which would otherwise unscrew the inner shell 14. However, when it is desired to put the cap 13 in place on the neck portion 11 of the container 10, the ratchet teeth 32 and 33 engage when the outer shell 15 is rotated in a direction to turn the inner shell 14 onto the threads 12.

When a cap embodying the invention is in place in closed, safety position on a container 10, as shown in FIG. 1, the stiffness of the web 24 is sufficient so that more force is required to move it from this safety position to the open position as illustrated in FIG. 4 than can be exerted thereon by a small child. However, when an adult or an older child wishes to unscrew the cap 13, he grasps the outer shell 15 in the fingers and exerts axial force thereon deforming the web 24 upwardly into the position illustrated in FIG. 4 thereby exposing at least the lower portion of the inner shell 14 which can then be grasped in the fingers and unscrewed.

Preferably, and as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the web 24 of the outer shell 15 is so constructed and arranged and of such thickness and configuration in its several elements that it is biased at least toward the safety position illustrated in FIG. 3. It also is desirable to so design the configuration, roughly as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, so that the web 24 passes over-center in moving from the safety position of FIG. 3 to the open position of FIG. 4. When the outer shell 15 is moved between these positions greater force is required to move it through the center position and it is then biased from the center position to either the safety position of FIG. 3 or the open position of FIG. 4.

A second, and possibly preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 9-12, inclusive. In this embodiment of the invention, a cap generally indicated by the reference number 35 comprises an inner shell 36 having internal threads 37 which mesh with threads 38 formed on the neck of a container 38. The inner shell 36 has a substantially flat top 39 and a frusto-conical shoulder portion 40. The center of the top 39 is pierced to receive a stem 41 located at the center of the underside of a top 42 of an outer shell 43. The outer shell 43 also has an annular skirt 44 and a generally frusto-conical shoulder portion consisting of two concentric webs 45 and 46. The outer edge of the top 42 is connected to the inner edge of the web 45 and the outer edge of the web 45 is connected to the inner edge of the web 46 by weakened sections 47 and 48. The sections 47 and 48 serve as hinges providing for angular movement of the top 42 and the two webs 45 and 46 relative to each other.

As in the case of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, inclusive, the web of the outer shell comprising the web elements 45 and 46 is deformable to provide for axial movement of the skirt 44 from the safety position illustrated in FIG. 9 to the open position illustrated in FIG. 11.

The relative thickness of the weakened sections 47 and 48, of the top 42, and the web elements 45 and 46 is selected in order that the web elements 45 and 46 bias the outer shell 43 at least toward the safety position illustrated in FIG. 9. However, in this configuration of a bottle cap embodying the invention, it will readily be apparent that an over-center construction and arrangement can easily be achieved so that the outer shell 43 is also biased toward the open position illustrated in FIG. 11. Thus greater resistance to movement exists as the two web sections 45 and 46 approach an intermediate position and they are more easily moved therebeyond in either direction.

As in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, inclusive, the inner threaded shell 36 and the outer safety shell 43 are provided with one-way ratchet means comprising teeth 49 on the inner surface of the web section 45 of the outer shell 43, and complementary teeth 50 formed on the shoulder 40 of the inner shell 36. If desired, the outer surface of the inner shell 46 may also be ribbed as illustrated in FIG. 11 to facilitate grasping the inner shell 36 and the outer shell 43 may have a circular rib 51 to provide a finger hold for moving the outer shell 43 between the safety" position of FIG. 9 and the open position of FIG. 11.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 9-12, inclusive, has an advantage over the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, inclusive, in that the top 42 of the outer shell 43 is flat to provide a surface upon which a merchant can stamp a retail selling price or affix an adhesive label or upon which the manufacturer of the contents of the container 38 may afiix or impress a trademark, name or instructions. A further advantage in the construction of FIGS. 9-12 exists in that the outer surface of the outer shell 43 does not have any recesses in which foreign materials may accumulate when the cap is in its safety position as for example upon the shelf of a market or pharmacy or even in the home medicine cabinet.

Having described our invention we claim:

1. A child-proof screw-on cap for a medicine bottle or the like, said cap comprising, an inner threaded shell adapted to screw onto said bottle, and an outer inverted, generally cup-shaped shell positioned over said inner threaded shell, means pivotally attaching said outer shell to said inner shell at the top center thereof for relative rotation therebetween when said outer shell is in its safety position, said outer shell having a skirt adapted to telescopingly enclose the outer surface of said inner shell when said outer shell is in its safety position, and a top overlying the top of said inner shell and consisting, at least in part, of a flexible circular web providing for axial movement of said skirt relative to said top and to said inner shell.

2. A child-proof cap according to claim 1 and cooperating one-way drive ratchet means on mating portions of the inner surface of said outer shell and the outer surface of said inner shell.

3. A child-proof cap according to claim 1 in which the top of said outer shell is a flat disc-like portion.

4. A child-proof cap according to claim 1 in which the web of the outer shell is deformable for moving said outer shell between a safety position enclosing the inner shell and an open position elevated above and exposing at least a part of the exterior surface of said shell between the safety position and open position thereof. 

1. A child-proof screw-on cap for a medicine bottle or the like, said cap comprising, an inner threaded shell adapted to screw onto said bottle, and an outer inverted, generally cup-shaped shell positioned over said inner threaded shell, means pivotally attaching said outer shell to said inner shell at the top center thereof for relative rotation therebetween when said outer shell is in its safety position, said outer shell having a skirt adapted to telescopingly enclose the outer surface of said inner shell when said outer shell is in its safety position, and a top overlying the top of said inner shell and consisting, at least in part, of a flexible circular web providing for axial movement of said skirt relative to said top and to said inner shell.
 2. A child-proof cap according to claim 1 and cooperating one-way drive ratchet means on mating portions of the inner surface of said outer shell and the outer surface of said inner shell.
 3. A child-proof cap according to claim 1 in which the top of said outer shell is a flat disc-like portion.
 4. A child-proof cap according to claim 1 in which the web of the outer shell is deformable for moving said outer shell between a safety position enclosing the inner shell and an open position elevated above and exposing at least a part of the exterior surface of said inner shell.
 5. A child-proof cap according to claim 4 in which the web of the outer shell is biased for retaining said outer shell in safety position enclosing the inner shell.
 6. A child-proof cap according to claim 4 in which the web of the outer shell is constructed and arranged for deformation ''''over-center'''' in moving said outer shell between the safety position and open position thereof. 